Machine for setting up bottle cartons



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HbRMMD G. GENTR Y ATTORNEYS nited States Patent" "IO MACHINE FOR sErriNo UP BOTTLE CARTONS Hermond G. Gentry, Atlanta, Ga., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Mead-Atlanta Paper Company, a corporation of Ohio Original application August 11, 1953, Serial No. 373,476, now Patent No. 2,780,970, dated February 12, 1957. 1539x1315? and this application July 17, 1956, Serial No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 271-44) This invention relates in general to carton set up machines, and more particularly to a machine by which collapsible bottle cartons of the type used for carrying bottled soft drinks and the like may be set up automatically in an exceptionally efiective and rapid manner to prepare them for loading with bottles.

The machine of the present invention is adapted to hold an unusually large stacked supply of the collapsed bottle cartons to be set up, to feed the bottle cartons successively from this stacked supply to a set-up station, and to erect the bottle cartons at this set-up station with a disposition such that the next succeeding collapsed bottle carton fed to the set-up station acts to discharge the bottle carton previously set up. In addition, the machine is arranged so that the various operating elements thereof are actuated from a common driving shaft; and is provided with control means by which intermittent or continuous operation may be obtained selectively, as desired, and by which improper feeding action is detected to stop the setting up operation until normal feeding is reestablished.

These and other features of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of a bottle carton set-up machine embodying the present'invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear side elevation as seen from the left in Fig. 1, with the cover panels removed and with only the basic actuating means shown arranged in place;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary left end elevation corresponding to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation opposite to that shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a collapsed bottle carton such as may be set up by the machine of the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bottle carton shown in Fig. 6 after erection;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of the erect bottle carton shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the hopper structure from the open face side thereof;

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail in plan taken substantially at the line 1tl1ll in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a further sectional detail in plan taken substantially at the line 11-41 in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a further fragmentary side elevation taken from the same viewpoint as Fig. 4, but shown in section and with only the actuating linkages for the feed means illustrated;

Fig. 13 is a plan view corresponding generally to Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a separated detail corresponding generally to Fig. 12, but illustrating only the actuating linkage for driving the hopper pusher fingers;

Fig. 15 is a further separated detail also corresponding generally to Fig. 12, but illustrating only the actuating linkage for driving the positioning finger that finally advances the collapsed bottle cartons in position for setting up;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation showing the supporting structure of the carton set-up means;

Fig. 17 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 1717 in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a generally corresponding fragmentary front face detail showing the arrangement of the set-up section system and control therefor;

Fig. 19 is a further fragmentary detail, taken from a view point opposite that of Fig. 17, and showing the mechanical actuating linkage for the set-up means;

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary side elevation taken from the same View point as Fig. 4, but illustrating only the early stage of the bottle carton set-up operation;

Fig. 21 is a similar fragmentary side elevation illustrating the bottle carton end and bottom lock actuating means, and showing the final stage of the set-up operation;

Fig. 22 is a plan detail of the bottle carton end lock lever taken substantially from the position 2222 in Fig. 21;

Fig. 23 is a side elevation detail of the bottle carton bottom lock lever taken substantially from the position 23--23 in Fig. 21;

Fig. 24 is a further similar fragmentary side elevation illustrating the manner in which the erected bottle cartons are pushed clear of the set-up position by the succeeding collapsed bottle carton;

Fig. 25 is a schematic electrical diagram illustrated in relation to a still further similar fragmentary side elevation, and showing part of the operating control system for the machine of the present invention; and

Fig. 26 is a schematic electrical diagram showing the remainder of the operating control system.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a machine embodying the present invention in which a supporting frame structure is designated generally by the reference numeral iii; a hopper Structure at ten for containing a supply of collapsed bottle cartons 5th to be set up; feed means at 2% for advancing the collapsed bottle cartons Sil serially from the hopper wil for setting up; and a set-up mechanism at Si -lid for manipulating the collapsed cartons so that they are delivered from the machine in erect position as shown at 56 in Fig. l.

The frame structure 10, as seen in Fig. l, is suitably fitted with side closure panels 12, and may be mounted on casters 14 to render the machine of the present invention mobile and thereby easily moved and positioned to the best advantage in relation to other equipment or operating stations at which it is to be used.

The arrangement of the frame structure in and operating elements supported thereon is further illustrated in Figs 2 to 5, in which a main drive motor 16 and associated gear reducer 18 are shown mounted adjacent the base of the frame structure 16, the gear reducer 18 being fixed in place and the drive motor 1 5 being slidable in guide ways Zli from a lead screw adjusting hand wheel 22 by which the drive connection from the motor pulley 26 to the gear reducer sheave 28 may be kept tight.

The sheave 28 is coupled to the input shaft of gear reducer 18 through an electric clutch as indicated at Bill, which may be of the type disclosed in U. 8. Patent No. 2,606,638, for example, and which allows the drive motor 16 to run continuously while providing for selective intermittent or continuous operation of the machine as is described further below.

First and second drive sprockets 32 and 34 are arranged at the gear reducer 18 for driving a countershaft 36 and 3 a main cross shaft 38, respectively, through sprocket chain connections 40 and 42. The first drive sprocket 32 is coupled by the electric clutch 30 for driving directly from the gear reducer input sheave 28, while the second drive sprocket 34 is mounted on the output shaft of the gear reducer 18.

Upwardly of the frame structure an auxiliary drive motor 44 is mounted together with a vacuum pump 46 that is coupled thereto. This motor 44 and vacuum pump 46, and the main drive motor 16 and related drive connections described, comprise the means by which operation of the bottle carton set up machine of the present invention is actuated.

The form of bottle carton 50 set up by the machine of the present invention is shown in Figs. 6 to 8, as being of the paperboard type commonly employed for carrying bottles, and which is collapsible to a fiat condition for shipping or storing when not in use, but which may be folded to an erect condition (as at 50') for filling with bottles to be carried. For this purpose, the bottle carton 50 is suitably formed with a central partition and handle portion 52, having a hand hold aperture 54 therein; opposed pairs of end wall panels 56 and 58 foldably joined at each end of the handle portion 52; opposed side wall panels 60 and 62 foldably joined between the outer edges of the end wall panel pairs 56 and 58; intermediate transverse partition panels 64 and 66 foldably joined to and extending respectively between the handle portion 52 and the opposed side Wall panels 60 and 62 to form bottle compartment-s at each side of the handle portion 52; and a medially foldable bottom wall panel 68 foldably joined and extending between the lower edges of the side wall panels 60 and 62 to support a bottle load in the carton 50, the central partition and handle portion 52 being formed at its lower edge with a bottom wall locking notch '70 for engaging an end of the bottom wall panel 68 so that the carton 50 is locked in erect position (see Fig. 8).

The details of the hopper structure 100, in which the collapsed bottle cartons 50 are placed for feeding to be set up by the machine of the present invention, are shown in Figs. 9 to 11. As shown, the hopper 100 is arranged with vertically disposed side plates 102 and 104, and a front plate 106, which serve to support laterally and guide downwardly a stack of collapsed bottle cartons 50 placed therein. These vertical side plates 102 and 104, and the front plate 106, are mounted on a bottom table plate 108 that is secured to the frame structure 10 at front and rear mounting blocks 110 and 110', and that has right and left slide plates 112 and 114, and a front slide plate 116, arranged on the top face thereof in relation to a central opening at 118 in the bottom plate 103 for a purpose that will be explained presently in describing the arrangement and operation of the feed means 200.

To support the front side plate 106, uprights 120 are secured on the bottom plate 108 by brackets 122, and have cross bars 124 extending therebetween to which the front plate 106 is fastened as at 126, with the bottom edge thereof spaced above the front slide plate 116 properly to provide a feed opening for one collapsed bottle carton 50 from the bottom of a stack thereof in the hopper 100. The side plates 102 and 104 are supported from hold down bars 128 and 130, which are arranged for lateral adjustment at any one of several laterally spaced securing positions on the bottom plate 100 for different sizes of bottle cartons 50, and by a series of spacing bars 132 extending between assembly bars 134 and 136 secured to the outside faces of the side plates 102 and 104. The spacing bars 132 are attached in fixed relation to the right side plate assembly bars 134 but have elongated slots as at 138 for lateral adjustment with respect to the left side plate assembly bars 136, in arranging the lateral spacing of the side plates 102 and 104 for different size bottle cartons 5.0 as previously mentioned.

4. The hopper structure comprising the foregoing elements is disposed uprightly on the frame structure 10 in an extent sufiicient to allow stacking therein of an exceptional operating supply of the bottle cartons 50 (e. g., 250, which is the normal shipping case quantity of the collapsed bottle cartons 50), and this unusually large capacity of the hopper 100 raises several operating problems. First, the weight of a full stack of bottle cartons 50 in the hopper 100 is substantial so that difficulty is encountered in providing for stripping or feeding the cartons 50 serially from the bottom of the stack with uniform ease. Also, the collapsed bottle cartons 50 are thinner at their bottom wall 68 than throughout the rest of their structure so that they do not form a stable stack of any size. In addition, the bottle cartons 50, being formed of paperboard, become bent or warped rather easily, which often makes it difficult to maintain them in alignment with a feed opening.

Provision is made according to the present invention for eliminating each of these difficulties. To counteract the excessive weight of a stack of the bottle cartons 50 in the hopper 100, the hopper side plates 102 and 104 are fitted in alternately spaced relation with step bars 140 (see Figs. 9 and 10) that cause the stack of bottle cartons 50 to feed downwardly in a zig-zag fashion, with the result that the weight of the bottle carton stack is largely supported by these step bars 140, leaving a bottom group of bottle cartons 50 in the stack unhampered by this weight in feeding from the hopper 100.

Also, the step bars 140 tend to maintain the bottle cartons 50 level in the unstable stack Within the hopper 100, and to provide further means for managing this unstable bottle carton stack, the hopper 100 is also provided with a rear guide rod 142 positioned adjacent the rear edge of left side plate 104 by upper and lower clamp bars 144 and 146 adjustably secured, respectively, on a bracket bar 143 near the upper end of side plate 104 and on the left slide plate 114 at the top face of bottom plate 108. By virtue of this arrangement, the guide rod 142 is disposable just inside of alignment with the left side plate 104 (compare Figs. 9, 10 and 11) to stand behind the adjacent rear corner portion of the stacked bottle cartons 50, and thereby prevent any possibility of the stack tipping outwardly through the open face of the hopper 100, while still allowing the bottle cartons 50 to be easily stacked therein.

At the bottom of the hopper 100, a rear guide bracket 150 extends upwardly (compare Figs. ll, 12 and 13) in opposed relation to the front plate 106, so that the bottle cartons 50 are guided forwardly and positively positioned in relation to the front plate 106 as they reach the bottom of hopper 100. This rear guide bracket 150 is mounted on a central support bar 152, which together with right and left support bars 154 and 156, extend forwardly and downwardly from a cross elevation bar 158 fixed on top of the right and left slide plates 112 and 114 adjacent the rear edge of bottom plate 108, so that the bottle cartons 50 are elevated at the rear of the hopper 100 in a manner that directs the forward carton edges at the feed opening below the front hopper plate 106 despite any warping or bending that might be present in the bottle cartons 50 being fed.

The arrangement and manner of operation of the feed means 200 by whichthe stacked bottle cartons 50 are fed from the hopper 100 and advanced for setting up is illus trated in Figs. 12 to 15. To strip the bottle cartons 50 serially from the bottom of hopper 100, a pair of pusher fingers 202 are arranged in spaced relation between the carton support bars 152, 154 and 156 at fit, bottom of hopper 100. These pusher fingers 202 are mounted on spring arms 204 that bias them upwardly above the support bars 152, 154 and 156 to engage the rear edge of the bottom bottle carton 50 for each feeding stroke. The spring arms 204 are in turn secured to a sliding cross bar 206, that is disposed within the central opening 118 of 

